


Body Language (or, That Which Goes Unspoken)

by RefugeeofTumblr



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Eobard and Barry are secretly heckin cute together y'all, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Slice of Life, all pairings here can be taken as kind of queerplatonic, and i live for cisco and caitlin loving each other in whatever capacity feels right, anyway, especially cisco and caitlin, if slice of life can include 'complicated feelings and people with insane superpowers', please enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27636185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RefugeeofTumblr/pseuds/RefugeeofTumblr
Summary: Team Flash changes with the years, though some things will always remain a constant, like Caitlin being the best friend Cisco has ever had. He'd come to think of Eobard Thawne as another one of those constants over the years, in his own annoying way.Turns out he didn't know the Reverse Flash so well after all.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Eobard Thawne, Cisco Ramon/Caitlin Snow
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Body Language (or, That Which Goes Unspoken)

It happens when Eo- when the Reverse Flash is leaning against a table in the Cortex as though he still owns it, fresh off the team's victory over a malignant metahuman with powers that easily rival Cisco's.

Cisco himself (and Caitlin too) have been hard-pressed to help Barry defeat Theosophy, but even so the decision to enlist Thawne's help had not come lightly. Even if the yellow speedster – okay, second yellow speedster, counting Wally – hasn't been gunning for them the way he used to these past few decades, the rival Flashes coming to a tentative understanding that Central City requires both of them to remain whole over the tumult of time and inner strife, Cisco cannot and will not forget how it felt the day that Thawne's betrayal ripped his heart to shreds in his chest. Restless dreams of that moment still wake him up at night, the low, brooding voice whispering, "to me, you've been dead for centuries" in his ear.

Joke's on Thawne in that respect. Since becoming The Vibe, age barely factors into Cisco's decision making process anymore, while that Eobard, that Thawne, died in his own past to the hands of his own ancestor.

Irony is a bitch.

~~Cisco tries not to think too hard about how the man he once knew would have laughed if he got to hear that thought for himself.~~

In the present, he takes out his annoyance by glaring holes into Thawne's back. If the speedster notices, however, he does not deign to comment, embroiled in trading insults with Barry. More out of habit at this point, it seems. But still. Enemies are enemies, and insults don't break the fragile truce that has imposed itself over their respective halves of Central City.

Caitlin sits down beside him. A cool, composed rigidity has taken over the lines of her body, one that he wants nothing more than to soothe and dispel. Cisco knows that it won't leave, though. Not until the man who saw everybody in the blast radius and accepted their deaths as collateral damage is gone, and not likely to come back anytime soon. He watches as her hair and eyes change color, the shift reflecting her inner turmoil just as much as it might shield her emotions from anyone who doesn't know her the way he does.

"Boys, boys," Killer Frost drawls, icy mist dripping from her fingertips as she arches an eyebrow at the speedsters. "If you're going to turn the Cortex into a war zone, at least have the decency to warn the rest of us so we can go home now."

That earns her an apologetic glance from Barry.

"Sorry, Cait," he murmurs, and steps back toward the open doorway. And he is backing away, but it doesn't read like a concession, exactly. Just a ceasefire that both he and his Reverse seem to respect instinctively. "I guess we're all tired. Looks like Theosophy won't be coming back though, so at least everyone can get some rest for now."

"For now," Thawne echoes, a cocky smirk on his face as Barry places his suit back onto its mannequin and shoots a goodbye wave at Caitlin and Cisco on his way out. "See you around, Flash."

There's something about the way he drawls those words that makes Cisco's skin crawl all over again.

He ignores it in favor of crossing his arms, leveling Thawne with a look that he hopes will make it plain that his patience for the man's presence is running thin. "Yeah. Same to you. Except I really hope I don't see you around, so it's not the same at all."

"You wound me, Cisco." Those piercing grey eyes turn toward Cisco, accompanied by the hand that Thawne places mockingly over his own heart. "Just when I thought we might be starting to become friends again after all these years."

Caitlin's dry snort sums up their combined feelings on the matter better than words ever could.

"Oh, very well. Until next we meet." He inclines his head at each of them in turn. "Vibe, Killer Frost."

Then the bastard is gone, sauntering out of the Cortex at a normal human speed to follow the same path that Barry traveled, and even as Cisco lets out a shaky, relieved breath, he knows he won't be able to settle until he sees with his own eyes that Thawne hasn't simply ducked into a corner to wait them out. He needs to be sure.

"I forgot my coffee."

The excuse falls from his lips before Cisco consciously realizes that he's formed it. There's no taking it back without acknowledging that it is an excuse, though, so he stands up to follow and doesn't even glance back, trusting Caitlin to wait for him or even begin getting ready to leave whenever he returns. What she doesn't know won't hurt her in this case. Even if he also suspects that she's more than capable of seeing the white lie for what it is, for the same reason they (and Barry) have sworn to never play poker with each other ever again.

Even masks can't hide their most elemental tells anymore.

He doesn't need a mirror to know that the casual mask he's mustered to hide his suspicion shatters as he peeks around the next turn, however.

Thawne and Barry are walking side by side, postures deliberately casual. But as Cisco watches, Barry turns to the right, about to enter one of the many smaller rooms that house locker rooms and – more importantly – showers. Which wouldn't be shocking in and of itself, except for the fact that Thawne's hand shoots out to grab at Barry's left shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and causing him to turn back to face the other speedster.

"Hmm?"

It's a simple, quiet sound. ~~Eobard~~ Thawne seems to understand what it means regardless, and cocks his head, sharp grey eyes narrowed in a wordless question that Cisco feels but can't quite parse, like a computer with the wrong version of a program.

From this distance, Cisco can pick out the little lines that form around his friend's mouth and nose as Barry lets out a soft snort, then leans in to bump against Thawne's side with a surprisingly gentle smile blooming across his face. On some level, he doesn't even feel like it matters that he notices those details at all, because the tension that drains from Thawne's body at even that smallest amount of contact is answer enough for any question he could care to ask at this point.

"See you around, Flash."

This time, there's no bravado to be found as Thawne releases his hold on Barry's shoulder and steps away.

"And you, Reverse."

Cisco doesn't stick around to see red lightning race away down the hall, or the tender look in his friend's eyes as he turns to step into the locker rooms for a much-needed shower. He just walks back to the Cortex, intent on _getting the hell out of there_ and returning from whatever insane alternate universe he just stumbled into. Because that's the one reason he can think of for why Barry Allen and the freaking Reverse Flash just acted like lovers – however unknowingly – right in front of him.

It isn't until later, when a movie is playing on his widescreen TV and the lights are turned down low, that he notices the unimpressed look Caitlin is giving him and remembers that he came back without his coffee mug.

_Shit._

FIN.

**Author's Note:**

> I am... so late coming back to this fandom. Um, EoBarry away?
> 
> Best,  
> RoT.


End file.
